As the shift to working from home part of the time has taken root, the market has had time to develop some great garden offices and spaces to cater for the change in working and commuting habits. Keeping up with the neighbours now includes garden offices and studios. At the upper end of the spectrum there are some impressive innovations available in London. As energy efficiency is important in the current climate, many of these new buildings can be built to carbon-neutral standards and generate their own energy with renewables built in. No longer just aspirational sheds, the stylish garden office is cutting a whole new edge into the domicile and providing stylish sanctuary from the household too. There are many benefits from working from your garden, for your own well-being and in relation to the environment.
Stress free renovation
The beauty of the new garden office model is that they often come without requiring planning permission and with everything included, down to finish and electrics, so it is not like taking on a renovation. London Garden Rooms is a good example for they include:
- Full design and layout plans
- All foundation works
- 12 year guarantee
- Structural insulated panels (SIP) construction for maximum insulation
- Rubberised EPDM roofing with a 20 year guarantee
- Powder coated aluminium bifold, sliding or French doors
- Plastered and painted interior walls and ceiling in your choice of colour
- Choice of flooring options
- All electrical works completed and certificated
Plus, in this case, London Garden Rooms have thought out the efficiency model on your behalf and create low U-value garden rooms, meaning it will cost less to heat them. In addition, they source products in the UK and aim overall to reduce carbon emissions in their work, so you get the kudos. Green sedum roofs can be added to complete the eco-look and offset further emissions. London Garden Spaces based in Ealing offers a free consultation for your personalized garden space and create bespoke places for multi-use purposes. Rooms Outdoor has a stunning gallery of different designs for your unique garden room, plus their configurator means you can try out designs and estimate costs for your own research.
Office Pods
While offices have undergone huge restructuring since the pandemic, pods have sprung up everywhere- providing sealed units for calls, connectivity, and focused work. London garden rooms have the instant office solution for you, your own office pod which can be installed in one day and up and running in an instant in your own garden. It is literally an instant office pod, as they supply the chair, infra-red heater, and window blinds. Transportable if you need to move house, the pod is fully insulated and comes with electrical installation and internet connectivity. For a more holistic look, Podmakers create beautiful pod structures with an emphasis on fine interior craftsmanship. Fusing together an ecological ethos with the craft of furniture making they design for gardens and outdoor spaces. Their Bolt Hole is a great example of a small self-contained unit with a quality contemporary aesthetic. Ticks all the sustainability boxes as well.
Renewable energy and your garden office
With a smaller, custom-built structure, it’s easier to achieve carbon-neutral status for your garden office and then even generate your own power to run it. Integrating solar panels onto the roof of a garden office is very easy. Alternatively, depending on your space around the garden office you could consider a ground source heat pump or an air source heat pump as your heat source. With most of these London companies mentioned, they are already aiming towards a passive heat structure, which will retain heat rather than lose it. By connecting your garden office with its own renewable energy sources, it can run as its own independent unit. In addition, you may wish to complete the dream with a wood-burning stove. To choose the right dimensions for your space, check out this guide. You will be able to claim off-grid status in your ultimate man/woman cave.
Researching for a garden office
The Garden Office has a good website for ideas and for estimating costs. With a showroom in Twickenham, you can visit and envisage the structures more clearly. They can talk you through any issues that could arise with planning and their design tool means you can really customize your space and work many details out in advance. Most companies state that generally garden offices can be built without planning permission, as they are built as permitted developments. As with any project, researching your options is important to get a feel of the terrain, so that you can make informed choices. The beauty of a lot of these custom builds is that you can add your own signature to them, but they have thought the structural details out in advance. Take some time to compare options, gather quotes and consider if the potential changes of use of the office over time. That way, you will have a solid investment that will add value to your property.
Downsizing for a garden office
Efficiency and utility work best in a minimalist space and so you may need to consider how best to store what is necessary for your office in a way that it can be easily concealed. If you have equipment that you need to put into dormancy before utilizing it or selling it, a storage solution may be your best option. Often designs will have some custom storage in place and if not, you may want to carefully research and consider the layout in your new space before over cluttering it with a lot of items. Having a storage unit option elsewhere could mean you don’t have to sacrifice any of your equipment and flexibility with stock while you avoid the issue of the garden office space becoming like a garage storage zone for the whole house. It may be that you are losing a garden building to make space for the new office, in which case a self-storage option for gardening equipment could be a good seasonal option, particularly in the winter. RMB4 Ltd has a range of storage options that work as great add- ons for businesses, plus all costs can count as tax deductible expenses.
RMB4 Ltd – Removals and Storage services for London businesses
At RMB4 Ltd our affiliated business services cover a wide range of bespoke and artistic ends of the spectrum. With an incredibly skilled team that are used to handling works of art, musical equipment and antiques you can rely on our professionalism when it comes to handling valuable items. If you are downsizing your office to work from home or changing your working blueprint and need some storage and reliable delivery services, look no further. Flexibility and professionalism are key to our ethos, where we take the London removals and storage industry up an octave. While you may keen to enjoy the sanctuary of a smaller working environment at home, it doesn’t mean you have to scale down your operation. Outsourcing storage and delivery to the experts means you can relax and focus on building your empire amongst the birds and flowers.
